Match-box.



No. 676,798. Patented June l8, I90l.

C. P. MULLINS, Decd. C. E. MULLINS, Administratrix. MATCH BOX.

(Application flld Aug. 27, 1900.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

CHARLES P. MULLINS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT; CHARLOTTE E. MULLINS ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID CHARLES P. MULLINS,

DECEASED.

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,798, dated June 18, 1901.

Application filed August 27,1900. Serial No. 28,107. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. MULLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Match-Box, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of matchsafes which are adapted to receive a'quantity of matches and retain them safely and to deliver the matches singly into a suitable receptacle upon the performance of some simple mechanical operation which may be repeated until the supply of matches is exhausted, a single match dropping down into the receptacle each time the operation is performed; and my invention has for its object to provide a match-safe of this class which shall be adapted for general use for the reasons that it shall be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, durable, free from complications, and therefore practically impossible to get out of repair, and which, moreover, will handle the matches in such a manner that all danger of explosion and the setting ofi of all the matches in the reservoir will be avoided.

With these ends in view I have devised the simple and novel single-delivery match-safe of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, reference characters being used to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my novel match-safe on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2, the raised position of the cover being indicated by dotted lines; and Fig, 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

My novel match-safe comprises simply a reservoir for matches, which I have designated by A, a receptacle (designated by B) which is adapted to receive the matches from the reservoir, a hinged cover 0 for the receptacle, a slide D, which is adapted to receive matches singly from the reservoir and deliver them to the receptacle,- and a connecting-rod E, which is pivoted to the slide and also to the cover in such a manner that each time the cover is raised the slide will receive a match from the reservoir, and each time the cover is lowered the slide will deliver the match just received from the reservoir into the receptacle,- so that whenever a person desiring to use a match raises the cover he will find a match in the receptacle, and the closing of the cover will deliver another match into the receptacle ready for the next user, it being obvious that any person desiring a number of matches at any time may readily obtain them from the reservoir by raising and lowering the cover of the receptacle a number of times.

It will of course be obvious that the material of which my novel match-safe is made is not of the essence of my invention, metal, of course, being admirably adapted for the purpose required on account of its strength and weight. It will furthermore be apparent that the shape and design of both the reservoir and receptacle are matters that may be varied to an unlimited extent without departing from the principle of my invention and are matters to be determined entirely by the taste and judgment of the manufacturer or the special requirements of the use for which a special lot of match-safes may be required. The reservoir is preferably made large enough to contain at least five hundred or preferably a thousand ordinary matches. The receptacle is shown as placed below and in front of the reservoir, the bottom of the receptacle bein g preferably rounded, as shown in the draw ings, for the convenience of users in removing matches therefrom. In the present instance I have shown a match-safe having a reservoir provided with a removable front 10, which is retained in place by a suitable catch 11. The reservoir may be conveniently filled by turning it over so that the front will be upward, then removing the front and placing the matches in the reservoir, and then returning the front to place again and securing it by the catch. The hinges of the cover to the receptacle are indicated by 12, the pivotal point of the connecting-rod to the slide by 13, and the pivotal point of the connecting rod to the cover by'14. The exact location and arrangement of these points is not of the es sence of my invention. It is, however, do

sir-able that the slide shall move freely. I therefore so proportion the parts as to place the pivotal points of the connecting-rod to the cover and the slide on opposite sides of the line on which the cover is hinged-=that is to say, the line on which the cover is hinged to I said receptacle, a slide adapted to pass into the-receptacle is intermediate but (as shown in the drawings) not necessarily midway between the pivotal points of the connectingrod to the cover and slide. The top of the receptacle at some point back of the hinges and in front of the reservoir is provided with a slot 15, through which a match may pass freely, and slide D is provided with a corresponding slot 16, slot 16 registering with slot 15 when the cover is lowered and the slide is thereby drawn to its forward position, as clearly shown in full lines in Fig. 1. I have also shown in Fig. 1 by means of dotted lines the position of the cover and the connecting rod when the cover is raised. It is obvious that this movement of the cover will move the slide back, so that slot 16 will be within the reservoir, Where it will receive a match, which will drop into the receptacle as soon as the cover is lowered and the slide drawn forward so that slot 16 will register with slot 15 again. I preferably provide the portion of the top of the slide which passes into the reservoir with grooves and ridges 17 and 18, lying parallel with slot 16. The action of these grooves and ridges is to agitate the matches in the reservoir slightly when the slide is moved forward or backward, so as to effectually prevent any clogging of the matches, but at the same time without any violent movement of the matches, which I desire to avoid.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim- 1. A match-safe comprising a reservoir, a receptacle adapted to receive matches therefrom and having a slot 15, a hinged cover for the reservoir and having a slot to receive matches singly and a connecting-rod pivoted to the cover and to the slide,'so that each time the cover is raised the slide will pass into the reservoir and receive a match and when the cover is lowered the slide will be moved forward thereby and the match will pass through the slot into the receptacle.

2. A match-safe comprising a reservoir, a receptacle below and in front of the reservoir and having a slot 15, a cover for said receptacle hinged in front of the reservoir, a slide having a slot 16 and a connecting-rod pivoted to the slide and to the cover so that when the cover is raised the slide will be moved backward within the reservoir and slot 16 will receive a match and when the cover is lowered slot 16 will register with slot 15 and the match will drop into the receptacle.

3. A match-safe comprising a reservoir, a receptacle below and in front of said reservoir and having a slot, a cover for said receptacle hinged in front of the reservoir, a slide adapted to pass within the reservoir and having a slot adapted to register with the slot in the receptacle when in the retracted position and a connecting-rod hinged to the slide and to the cover, the hinge-line of the cover being intermediate the pivotal points of the connecting-rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES P. MULLINS.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHERTON. 

